Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Computer Organization
and Architecture
7th Edition
Chapter 4
Cache Memory
Characteristics
Location
Capacity
Unit of transfer
Access method
Performance
Physical type
Physical characteristics
Organisation
Location
CPU
Internal
External
Capacity
Word size
The natural unit of organisation
Number of words
or Bytes
Unit of Transfer
Internal
Usually governed by data bus width
External
Usually a block which is much larger than a
word
Addressable unit
Smallest location which can be uniquely
addressed
Word internally
Cluster on M$ disks
Access Methods (1)
Sequential
Start at the beginning and read through in
order
Access time depends on location of data and
previous location
e.g. tape
Direct
Individual blocks have unique address
Access is by jumping to vicinity plus sequential
search
Access time depends on location and previous
location
e.g. disk
Access Methods (2)
Random
Individual addresses identify locations exactly
Access time is independent of location or
previous access
e.g. RAM
Associative
Data is located by a comparison with contents
of a portion of the store
Access time is independent of location or
previous access
e.g. cache
Memory Hierarchy
Registers
In CPU
Internal or Main memory
May include one or more levels of cache
RAM
External memory
Backing store
Memory Hierarchy - Diagram
Performance
Access time
Time between presenting the address and
getting the valid data
Memory Cycle time
Time may be required for the memory to
recover before next access
Cycle time is access + recovery
Transfer Rate
Rate at which data can be moved
Physical Types
Semiconductor
RAM
Magnetic
Disk & Tape
Optical
CD & DVD
Others
Bubble
Hologram
Physical Characteristics
Decay
Volatility
Erasable
Power consumption
Organisation
Physical arrangement of bits into words
Not always obvious
e.g. interleaved
The Bottom Line
How much?
Capacity
How fast?
Time is money
How expensive?
Hierarchy List
Registers
L1 Cache
L2 Cache
Main memory
Disk cache
Disk
Optical
Tape
So you want fast?
It is possible to build a computer which
uses only static RAM (see later)
This would be very fast
This would need no cache
How can you cache cache?
This would cost a very large amount
Locality of Reference
During the course of the execution of a
program, memory references tend to
cluster
e.g. loops
Cache
Small amount of fast memory
Sits between normal main memory and
CPU
May be located on CPU chip or module
Cache/Main Memory Structure
Cache operation overview
CPU requests contents of memory location
Check cache for this data
If present, get from cache (fast)
If not present, read required block from
main memory to cache
Then deliver from cache to CPU
Cache includes tags to identify which
block of main memory is in each cache
slot
Cache Read Operation - Flowchart
Cache Design
Size
Mapping Function
Replacement Algorithm
Write Policy
Block Size
Number of Caches
Size does matter
Cost
More cache is expensive
Speed
More cache is faster (up to a point)
Checking cache for data takes time
Typical Cache Organization
Comparison of Cache Sizes
Yearof
Processor Type L1cachea L2cache L3cache
Introduction
IBM360/85 Mainframe 1968 16to32KB
PDP11/70 Minicomputer 1975 1KB
VAX11/780 Minicomputer 1978 16KB
IBM3033 Mainframe 1978 64KB
IBM3090 Mainframe 1985 128to256KB
Intel80486 PC 1989 8KB
Pentium PC 1993 8KB/8KB 256to512KB
PowerPC601 PC 1993 32KB
PowerPC620 PC 1996 32KB/32KB
PowerPCG4 PC/server 1999 32KB/32KB 256KBto1MB 2MB
IBMS/390G4 Mainframe 1997 32KB 256KB 2MB
IBMS/390G6 Mainframe 1999 256KB 8MB
Pentium4 PC/server 2000 8KB/8KB 256KB
Highendserver/
IBMSP 2000 64KB/32KB 8MB
supercomputer
CRAYMTAb Supercomputer 2000 8KB 2MB
Itanium PC/server 2001 16KB/16KB 96KB 4MB
SGIOrigin2001 Highendserver 2001 32KB/32KB 4MB
Itanium2 PC/server 2002 32KB 256KB 6MB
IBMPOWER5 Highendserver 2003 64KB 1.9MB 36MB
CRAYXD1 Supercomputer 2004 64KB/64KB 1MB
Mapping Function
Cache of 64kByte
Cache block of 4 bytes
i.e. cache is 16k (214) lines of 4 bytes
16MBytes main memory
24 bit address
(224=16M)
Direct Mapping
Each block of main memory maps to only
one cache line
i.e. if a block is in cache, it must be in one
specific place
Address is in two parts
Least Significant w bits identify unique
word
Most Significant s bits specify one memory
block
The MSBs are split into a cache line field r
and a tag of s-r (most significant)
Direct Mapping
Address Structure
24 bit address
2 bit word identifier (4 byte block)
22 bit block identifier
8 bit tag (=22-14)
14 bit slot or line
No two blocks in the same line have the same Tag field
Check contents of cache by finding line and checking Tag
Direct Mapping
Cache Line Table
Cache line Main Memory blocks held
0 0, m, 2m, 3m2s-m
1 1,m+1, 2m+12s-m+1
Word
Tag 22 bit 2 bit
22 bit tag stored with each 32 bit block of data
Compare tag field with tag entry in cache to
check for hit
Least significant 2 bits of address identify which
16 bit word is required from 32 bit data block
e.g.
Address Tag Data Cache line
FFFFFC FFFFFC24682468 3FFF
Associative Mapping Summary
Address length = (s + w) bits
Number of addressable units = 2s+w
words or bytes
Block size = line size = 2w words or bytes
Number of blocks in main memory = 2s+
w/2w = 2s
Number of lines in cache = undetermined
Size of tag = s bits
Set Associative Mapping
Cache is divided into a number of sets
Each set contains a number of lines
A given block maps to any line in a given
set
e.g. Block B can be in any line of set i
e.g. 2 lines per set
2 way associative mapping
A given block can be in one of 2 lines in only
one set
Set Associative Mapping
Example
13 bit set number
Block number in main memory is modulo
213
000000, 00A000, 00B000, 00C000 map
to same set
Two Way Set Associative Cache
Organization
Set Associative Mapping
Address Structure
Word
Tag 9 bit Set 13 bit 2 bit
Addexternalcacheusingfaster 386
Externalmemoryslowerthanthesystembus.
memorytechnology.
AddexternalL2cacheusingfaster 486
Internalcacheisrathersmall,duetolimitedspaceonchip
technologythanmainmemory
Createseparatebacksidebusthat PentiumPro
runsathigherspeedthanthemain
Increasedprocessorspeedresultsinexternalbusbecominga (frontside)externalbus.TheBSBis
bottleneckforL2cacheaccess. dedicatedtotheL2cache.
MoveL2cacheontotheprocessor PentiumII
chip.